Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-22
the long sloping root. and gently
profered home to the rovers, mutter-

I 'eThere, ye can't do better n that!''z*
They rose in q body, and with them
Uncle True's hope; only to fall again,
as they at their queens behest went
down into the Baskins chimney!
':Pesky things!'' he calculated. AS
the church-goers were returning he
withdrew the hive, closed the skylight
with bang, and then appeared below
just rs Aunt True hustled in. -
''Feel better, Joshuap Such SER
mon as we had, you don't know what
you Missed
I'm alluz missing something!'
Uncle True answered, Grossly.
why, what's the matter?'
Matter enough! Baskins is ten
dollars richer and I the poorer this
morning"
Then he told her how the bees had
come, and ''every soul of 'em gone in
to Baskin's west chimbly."
Aunt True sat right down, bonnet in
hand while Joshua enlarged upon the
subject. He said he'd given anything
if the bees had come to him; he would
have planted buckwheat for them, and
in the fall smoked them out, and
gathered the honey.
Suddenly Aunt True spoke.
II don't care if them bees be in Bas-
kin's chimbly! You found them and
you've the fust right; besides it opens
in our cellar; and that gives US some
title to them.''
That's so!' cried Uncle True. tOf
course they belong to me, ques-
ton but the law'd decide that! But
Baskins might not think sou
Il don't s'pose he'd Divide" said
Aunt True, ''them Baskins is bound to
get all there is, every time! shouldn't
mention the bees; mabe they wouldn't
find it out all summer
''Fact is, it's alluz best to manage
folks quietly" chimed in Uncle True.
Little did either dream what part
they would have to act; or how often be
forced into untruths.
Never were there such active. hot
tempered insects-the young Baskin ses
were continually getting stung by what
they called hornets. Uncle True felt
very like liar when he told Mrs. Bas-
kins:
lit is powerful year for 'em; I've
got stung myself?'
'Must be there's nest under the
caves she said as she applied saler-
atns water.
And Uncle True pretended to hunt
for it.
Then, when the garden blossonled to
buckwheat alone, and Baskjns was
amazed, Uncle True explained the I'M
usual spectacle by saying he 'liked to
see it blow!''
Later in the summer Joshua could
not forbear an inspection of the CHM
nev. SO he took cement with him that
he might be able to say to the Baskins-
es that he was ''mending the CHM
bly!'
you won't get no thanks from our
landlord,' observed Mrs. Baskins;
Its his place to do the repairs. One
OF our chimney's should ought to be
seen to, but I won't let my man risk
his neck
And Uncle True, fearing Baskins
would emulate him and discover the
hidden treasure, declared he wouldn' t
risk himself on that slippery roof
again.
The buckwheat blossomed, and its
sweetness was culled by the busy in
sects.
"Reg'lar workers, they are,' Uncle
True often said, gleefully. ''That
chimbly must be filling up fast. Things
bave gone along nicely. The Baskin-
ses don't mistrust; just as soon as they
start We'll get the honey
The buchwheat faded.
''When are the Baskinses going to
the beach," each asked the other.
The summer WENT but alas, the
Basknses stayed; they couldn't at
ford the seashore'' that year! 1t began
to look as if Uncle True would never
get a chance at the colony. Fortu-
nately, the fall was unusually long and
warm the bees kept on working clear
up to Thanksgiving
On the morning of that dav, MIR.
Baskins started for his native town
with his family.
''Calc'late to make long stop,
neighbor?''
Uncle True spoke carelessly as posi-
bic.
Mrs. Baskins said. ..Pa wouldn't
hear TO their coming home till the next
afternoon
That would give Uncle True plenty
of time.
Don't hurry back!'' he calculated,
scarcely knowing what he said. "We'll
water the hens; seems though We
wouldn't never-ye scarcely ever 20
away"
Then he rushed into the house excit-
ed as a boy, thrust a miscellaneous
finger into his wife's side, and when
she WINGED, whispered:
clear p
Even this fact did not open the way
for an Immediate attack upon the bees.
The Trues waited, fearing the Bas-
kinses might return for some forgotten
article; then company came and stayed
all day,
''They have spilled our best chance!'
Uncle True said dolefullv.
'.Never mind,' said Aunt True
well send Bert to his cousins to-
night, and get everything ready for an
early start tomorrow"
Inc 1rues retired long before the
usual time, and slept too soundly for
they did not hear the Baskinses return
about midnight As Mrs. Baskins said
':Pa's too full to accommodate US :"
which mi ght have been taken literally
after 'Pa's'' hearty dinner, but what
she meant was the ancestral bedrooms
were filed with relatives from a dis
lance. AS these We're from a cyclone
district, the Young Baskinses heard a
tale Of horror that sank deep into their
minds.
':No part of our country is safe these
days." said Baskins.
. ''Out our way we're prepared" said
the cyclone representative; 1--WE have
a cave in the cellar to run into; let the
house sail off then, we're safe =
= ssThn winds ooino tn swean TIC rnf -